Hai Phong steps up efforts to attract non-budget investment
Hai Phong is stepping up investment attraction in the final three months of the year to achieve its 2026 growth target.
Sustaining investment appeal
According to the Hai Phong People's Committee, the city is estimated to have attracted USD 3,638.32 million in foreign investment in the first nine months of 2026, up 64.4% year on year and equivalent to 93.3% of its annual target. Total domestic investment attracted during the period was estimated at VND 103,974.55 billion.
By the end of September, the city had approximately 3,023 projects with total domestic investment estimated at VND 1,317,054.55 billion. Total realized investment in the city reached VND 257,477.26 billion, up 14.8% over the same period last year.
These results show that the city's investment appeal remains strong, particularly for foreign capital, despite fluctuations in fuel, transportation and logistics costs, unstable demand and order volumes, and the resulting impact on business operations and investment decisions.
Competition among localities for investment is intensifying, while many major domestic investors are concentrating their resources on key national projects.
To sustain its appeal, the city is renewing its investment promotion and business support methods. Under Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU, the City People's Committee has directed the development of priority project lists for each sector and the identification of strategic investors and corporations for targeted promotion. It is also developing implementation plans for signed memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements. 13 projects have been selected for focused monitoring and follow-up, with the aim of translating commitments into specific projects.
Alongside investment promotion, the city is implementing a “green channel mechanism” for investment, construction, land, real estate business and industry. Departments and agencies have designated focal points to monitor projects, guide and support investors, shorten administrative processing times and proactively resolve obstacles. City leaders and departmental officials have also stepped up direct meetings with businesses and major corporations to monitor project progress and help stabilize production, investment expansion and new project implementation.
Creating room for new investment
Despite the positive results, achieving economic growth of at least 13% in 2026 will require greater determination in the final months of the year. In the fourth quarter alone, the city needs to mobilize and realize approximately VND 106,000 billion in investment. This is a major challenge amid intensifying competition for investment, continued shifts in foreign capital flows and ongoing difficulties in the real estate market.
According to analysis by city departments and agencies, the sharp decline in the number of projects and total domestic investment in the first nine months of 2026 was partly due to the high comparison base in 2025, when several exceptionally large-scale projects emerged.
Excluding this factor, areas outside economic zones and industrial parks still attracted nearly VND 59,000 billion, up 35.4% year on year. This indicates that local investment demand remains, but the city needs to improve its capacity to absorb capital and proactively seek projects with greater scale, quality and spillover effects.
To boost investment from non-budget sources, the city is prioritizing sectors with substantial growth potential that align with its development orientation and can generate high added value. It will also continue improving the investment and business environment and enhancing competitiveness. The city aims to cut by 50% the processing time for administrative procedures related to business investment, production and operations, on top of the 50% reduction already implemented by ministries and agencies. It will also put the “green channel mechanism” into practice in handling procedures related to investment, land, planning and construction.
The city is also urgently reviewing and studying conditions for land access to reduce input costs and improve competitiveness. It will issue and publicly disclose principles, criteria and support levels for investment, as well as determine land areas for infrastructure investment in industrial parks, industrial clusters and technology incubators.
At the same time, the city will continue supporting existing investors in expanding production, increasing capital and launching new projects, thereby mobilizing additional resources for growth.
HA MINH